Sting Makes A Sensational 'Debut' on Broadway in His "Last Ship" Musical...

December 10, 2014

Tuesday night marked Sting's debut in his own Broadway musical, "The Last Ship." He was on Broadway over twenty years ago in a failed production of "The Threepenny Opera." So coming into "The Last Ship" took guts and it also showed time heals all wounds. In his first performance, the composer of what is invariably the best new score on Broadway in some time, acquitted himself beautifully.

He's taking over not the lead, but the part Jimmy Nail plays as the foreman of the Wallsend shipyard that's being shut down. When Sting first appeared on a set of stairs and looked down at the audience, I really thought his thought balloon was "Holy cow, what did I agree to?" But a few minutes in and he settled down, loosening up and belting his own songs with his strong, trademark voice. In short order Sting did the impossible: he blended in and stood out.

"The Last Ship" is a bewilderment. The music and staging are phenomenal, the cast is top notch. Everyone who sees it loves it. But a marketing misstep early on may have turned off female ticket buyers. The show seemed like it was just about ships, and men in peacoats. FALSE. It's a romantic triangle with gorgeous melodies and many women in the cast who give award winning performances. It's also about fathers and sons and legacies. And "The Last Ship" is also a fairy tale in many regards. It's not meant to be realistic.

Next Tuesday the cast CD comes out. One listen will explain all to potential ticket buyers. It's just hit after hit. Besides Sting's well known songs like "All This Time" and "When We Dance," all the new songs classics in the making. You can't stop humming them or singing them. They're that good.

Sting will be in the show until January 9th. Then Jimmy Nail comes back. Either way you can't lose. "The Last Ship" has to sail through the spring, when it will pick up momentum in Tony Awards season. And the nice thing, parents can go with teens 12 and up.

As for Sting, after a weekend at the Kennedy Center, he sailed through his first show and got the right laughs, too. No mistakes, no one fell off a ladder or missed a cue. Good stuff. We'll keep checking in.

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Dec 09, 2014

Sting will perform three concerts in Norway as part of his European tour next summer. On June 26, he'll play Bergen Calling in Bergen and will then head to Stavanger for a show at Dnb Arena on June 27 before wrapping up at the Oddereya in Kristiansand on June 28. Additional dates will be announced in the coming weeks, so stay tuned to Sting.com for updates! Tickets will go on sale this Friday, December 12 at 9AM, but Sting.com fan club members can purchase tickets in advance of the general public beginning tomorrow, December 10 at 9AM. (All times are local.) Visit http://www.sting.com/tour/index/ for additional information and to check out the dates that have already been announced.

Dec 07, 2014

The Kennedy Center Honors offered its usual mix of celebrity surprises Sunday night during a star-studded performance that featured soaring soul music and Hollywood schmaltz, before ending with an old-fashioned rock-and-roll jam. The 37th annual event - hosted by comedian Stephen Colbert - honored singer Al Green, actor Tom Hanks, ballerina Patricia McBride, comedian/actress Lily Tomlin and pop star Sting. This year's celebration was infused with a shot of youth, thanks to appearances by such singers as Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson and Usher. As is tradition, the artists sat with the president and first lady and watched the evening unfold. But that and other traditions could change. Producer George Stevens Jr., who has been at the event's helm since 1978, told the audience that this will be his last event - after Kennedy Center officials told him they wanted to reinvigorate the show...